Japan sees an interest in striking a nuclear cooperation deal with Russia, which can share valuable technology including fast-breeder reactors, Japan's nuclear chief said Monday. Japan, which has almost no natural energy resources of its own, in February launched talks with Moscow on a nuclear agreement that would include shipping spent fuel to Russia for uranium enrichment.
But progress has been held up by Japan's insistence that Russia allow the UN nuclear watchdog to inspect all enrichment facilities to ensure the material is not diverted for nuclear weapons.
"We have already reached a general agreement with Russia on science and technology, but on both sides there is a willingness to go further in the nuclear area," Shunsuke Kondo, chairman of Japan Atomic Energy Commission, told a news conference.
He said Russia had areas that interested Japan such as fast-breeder reactors, which use plutonium extracted from spent uranium fuel and can produce more fissionable material than they consume.
"Russia has advanced technology and products in this area," Kondo said.
Japan, which relies on nuclear energy for 30 percent of its needs, already has a prototype of a fast-breeder reactor, but is aiming to develop a more advanced one by 2025 to put to commercial use by around 2050.
"If we have not worked earlier with the Russians in this area, it's because until the reforms launched by President Vladimir Putin, their civilian and military activities were not clearly separated," Kondo said.
"I insist that Japan is only considering technological development for civilian, peaceful use."
Japan is particularly sensitive about non-proliferation of atomic weapons as it is the only nation to have suffered nuclear attack.
Source: Agence France-Presse
